image from mobilwi.typepad.comPic via (@Matt_Mullin)

About a year ago today, we were all enthralled with HBO’s 24/7, an inside look at the Flyers and Rangers leading up to the Winter Classic, a celebration of hockey. This year, Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr are member-measuring the season into non-existence and Ilya Bryzgalov, who served up so many lovable quotes last year, not the least of which were his comments about space, is playing for CSKA, the former Soviet Red Army team.

It seems Bryz was supposed to take part in some sort of international tournament this week, the Channel One Cup, but was curiously absent from team activities. One Russian newspaper reached out to him to find out why, and that's when he offered up these gems, Google translated, of course:

Why are not you on the team? You have really a health problem?

Sorry, but, unfortunately, I'm not ready to talk in detail with the press.

Why not?

The thing is that now I am in the Mission Control Center, you wrote about in our last interview. Astronaut suit on me. And you will understand that it disturbs me to communicate.

When you have finished its space business and explain the "SE" your situation?

You know, space – a particular substance. Maybe my flight will be delayed. But I'm with you for a chat.

 

Yeah. Bryz claimed to be at Mission Control, getting ready to go into space. He was speaking figuratively. We think.

H/T to (@billmeltzer)